Assistance needed

[GMan]

Hell-o all,

I am in need of some assistance here, so who could I turn to but EVERYONE here, especially the historians.

Today at the coffee shop the discussion turned to dead languages, the main example being Latin. Of course Gaelic came up and about two people said that no one speaks it today. I said several speak it as we speak (pun intended) and I was called on it. In one weeks time, I told them that I would prove my point, so here goes my plea for help!

Give me the places where Gaelic is still spoken with relative frequency. Thanks in advance for the assistance.


*EDIT*

Moderators, I just noticed that I somehow put this in the wrong topic area, please put in its proper slot. Thank You

[David White]

Try this for starters
http://lrrc3.sas.upenn.edu/popcult/C...%20Gaelic1.htm

http://www.linguae-celticae.org/GLS_english.htm

[cessna152towser]

Gaelic is spoken frequently and fluently on Scotland's western islands. During the 1980's I was employed as an education authority lawyer and often when I visited the island schools on Tiree, Mull or Islay, people would talk to one another in gaelic.

[bubba]

Gaelic is still spoken in parts of Ireland, the Western Isles of Scotland. The Scotsman prints articles in Gaelic and there is a move to teach it in the schools in Scotland.

[An t-Ileach]

Gaelic is spoken frequently and fluently on Scotland's western islands. During the 1980's I was employed as an education authority lawyer and often when I visited the island schools on Tiree, Mull or Islay, people would talk to one another in gaelic.

An anecdote to illustrate Cessna's point: a couple of years ago we went to stay on Islay to visit the rels. We were meeting in a cafe in Bowmore for lunch - my wife and daughter were sitting down ordering in English when I got there (they don't have the Gaelic). I just stood and listened to the waitress taking their order in English and at the same time carrying on a conversation with the next table in Gaelic about what a crime it was that the island's creamery was being shut down by the government (they were being none too polite about it either).

[TimC]

National Geographic did an article on the Celtic resergence and the article pointed out serveral place in the Scottish Islands where it is still spoken. I believe it was April or May's issue of this year. Hope it helps.

-Tim

[auld argonian]

Check these out:

Gaelic:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/alba/

Welsh:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/welsh/default.stm

obviously there is some sensitivity to these languages at the Beeb....although it could be that they are obliged by law to provide it.

Best

AA

[Valencian Kilted]

Apart of the use of gaelic in Ireland, scottish isles and some parts of Wales, there's also a gaelic language spoken in French Brittany.

...yes... I can just call this "my cent".

¡Salud!

T O N O

[starbkjrus]

Another example for you is the British Royal Website (www.royal.gov.uk) . It's available in English, Welsh and Gaelic.

Interestingly HRH The Prince of Wales' website is only available in English.

[Ruanaidh]

The rough numbers of native speakers are for Scotland 65,000; Wales 600,000; Nova Scotia 1, 000; Republic of Ireland 1,500,000; Northern Ireland 142,000; Isle of Man 650; Britanny 1,000,000.